Improvement in gang-plows



C. ATWOOD.

Wheel Plow.

Patented Oct-.18, 1870.

mine ss es: @441. my W W UNITED STATES PATENT UFFIoE.

CARELL ATWOOD, OF LEBANON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GANG-FLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 108,311, dated October18, 1870.

Be it known that I, CARELL A'rwoon, of Lebanon, in the county of St.Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gang-Flows; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing,making a part of this specification, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

This invention combines strength, simplicity, and economy ofconstruction, steadiness and regularity of running, facility ofoperation, and lightness of draft; and it consists, first, in. anarrangement of one or more plows in a stationary frame, in combinationwith suitable devices for lowering them into and raising them out of theground, being selffastening in either position, and adjusting them toany required depth of furrow to be plowed; and, secondly, an arrangementof curved slotted bars or plates, extending around the front end of themachine, and forming the hounds and jaws which support the tongue ordraftpole, by which the same can be adjusted right or left, and inconsequence thereof the plows be made to run more or less to land, totake a greater or lesser width of furrow, and by the peculiarconstruction of which and the manner of their attachment to saidstationary frame, and its arrangement of supporting wheels and axles,admit of a much closer gearing of the team thereto, and eonsequentlightness of draft, than would otherwise be practicable, and at the sametime cause the plows to preserve under all conditions their properalignment, and to run with increased steadiness.

Figure 1 represents a side view of a machine embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical view and plan of the same. Fig. 3 represents atransverse section and front view of the machine.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents the frame of the machine, supported upon wheels B B and F,the axles of wheels B B beingfirmly bolted to frame A at the forward endof the same.

I11 practice, I prefer a separate axle for each wheel, and the forwardwheel upon the righthand side to be placed in advance of the other, inorder to admit of a more convenient arrangement of the plows near theteam, as also to secure greater economy of space, said right hand wheel,which is intended to run in the furrow, being so arranged by means ofits longer offset axle from the frame A as to admit of a horizontalposition to said frame and the plows connected therewith, even whilesaid wheel is running on this lower level. The wheels B B may, however,if desired, be placed upon one axle, and the same attached to theextreme forward end of the machine, if necessary.

I1 represents a block upon. said frame, as far back as possible orconvenient, upon which the double-trees are fastened.

The hinder or caster wheel F is attached to its agle F and arm F and bybolt F to the frame A, so that it may move freely upon said bolt, eitherright or left, as far as to a position at right angles to said frame A,in order to enable the machine to be turned readily and easily whendesired.

The plows E E are supported in frame A, the standards of which, I) I),pass upward through slotted metallic plates or bars 0 c and c 0,respectively, upon the lower and upper sides of said frame A, and boltedthereto, said standards having holes (1 d in the upper part of the same,into which the pins or bolts (1 d are fastened, supporting levers e 0.

Connected with and attached to levers c c by bolts Z Z are crank-shaftsg g, extending downward to frame A, at which point they are bent atright angles to the plow-standards, and to the upper parts so connectedwith levers c c, and fastened across and upon frame A by staples orother equivalent devices, for securing them in proper position andallowing the necessary oscillatory motion thereto. By means of theselevers c 0, connected with and attached to crank-shafts g g and theplowstandards, as aforesaid, the driver, seated upon seat G, can, byreversing the lovers 0 0 either forward or backward, let the plows intoor raise them out of the ground at pleasure, these levers meanwhile, bytheir peculiar construction, being self-fastening when in a horizontalposition, thus holding the plows securely when either up or down. Theserests or supports for the levers may be upon the frame itself orattached to the levers; or any other simple device of like character maybe employed for like purpose.

I am aware of the many existing devices employed for lowering plows intoand raising them out of the ground by means of the lever combined withother mechanical contrivanees; but they are all substantially differentfrom mine, and I especially disclaim for the purpose the combination ofthe lever and link, as shown in Patent No. 62,004, and dated February12, 1867.

The lower bars or metallic plates, 0 a, are attached immovably to saidframe A. The upper bars, 0 0 at the point where the plowstandards passthrough them, are curved or offset upward, in order to give greaterbearings or support -to the plows when in operation. They are alsoslotted at c 0 where bolts 0 0 pass through them, by means of which,when the nuts on said bolts are loosened, they may be made to slideeither forward or backward, carrying the plow-standards with them, inconsequence of which, when the bolts are again tightened, the plows maybe made to run upon heel or point, as desired.

When it is required to adjust the plows to a greater or lesser depth offurrow, it is only necessary to insert the pins 01' 01' higher or lowerin the plow-standards, in the holes 61 d higher to make the plows rundeeper, and lower to make them run more shallow.

The curved bars 0 G at the forward end of the frame A, and forming thehounds and jaws whieh.support the tongue or draft-pole D, are slotted atthe points a a, where the bolt a passes through, by means of which slotsand bolt the bars 0 C may be turned or adjusted to the right or left,and the plows thereby set more or less to land, and caused to take wideror narrower furrows, as may be desired.

It is deemed advisable, in practice, to use but one bolt, extendingentirely through frame A, in support of slotted bars C O, on account ofthe greater strength to the machine thus afforded, and the increasedsteadiness of running; but two may be used, extending halfway through,more or less, with practically the same results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of the levers e 0, bolts (1 d, rock-shafts g g, bolts1 Z, with the plow standards, constructed to operate in the manner andfor the purpose substantially as described.

2. The slotted plates 0 C, with bolt or bolts 0/, for adjusting thedraft right or left, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbeforeset forth.

OARELL ATWOOD.

Witnesses:

It. F. CUNNINGHAM, ERASTUS PYLE.

